Thu, 07/13/2023 - 2:00pm EDT to 3:00pm
Teresa Rojo Tsosie
Director of Religious Education at St Jude Parish in Tuba City
Teresa is currently living in Tuba City, Arizona, on the Navajo Reservation, and is a Member of the Navajo Nation. She is Director of Religious Education at her local parish St. Jude Parish and manager of Communications in the Diocese of Gallup. In addition, Teresa is a consultant for the Catholic Climate Covenant, collaborates in the young adult process of Journeying Together, and is involved on various lay boards within the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops.
Claire Wills Shynett
Coordinator, Our Mother of Mercy Catholic Church Mental Health Ecumenical Ministry
Claire Wills Shynett worked as a health care professional for over 45 years, advocating for individuals with both mental and physical disabilities to live with dignity as fully functioning, participating, and contributing members of our community. Claire now works with many nonprofits organizations in Houston, Texas assisting individuals diagnosed with Mental Illness and IDD issues in the employment arena. She remains an advocate coordinating Our Mother of Mercy Catholic Church Mental Health Ecumenical Ministry providing free mental health education classes, support group meetings, and community outreach for those impacted by mental illness including the diagnosed, family members and the larger community of churches in Northeast Houston.
Christian Bentley
Regional Mental Health Representative for VOICE and Advocate for mental health and social justice, Diocese of Virginia.
Christian is a resident of the City of Alexandria in the Southside Historic District, a descendant of John Parker and member of the Historic Parker, Dogan and Bentley Families. A mixture of enslaved and freedman devout Catholics.
For over 5 years, Bentley has been a noteworthy advocate for mental health and social justice within Virginia and the National Catholic Church. Using his own experiences with managing a Bipolar 1 diagnosis and how faith, community and proper care can lead to a fulfilling life. Bentley currently serves as the Regional Mental Health Representative for VOICE, an interfaith social justice community advocacy group. The Chair of the Bishop's Advisory Council on Racism, The Diocesan Pastoral Council for Arlington, and an active participant with the USCCB in Young Adult and MultiCultural projects to name a few. A connector of people and a passionate person of faith, his life motto is based on the old gospel song, “If I can help somebody”. When he is not busy in his faith community, you can find Bentley walking his dog Epi through the streets of his ancestral home of Old Town Alexandria or on the Polo Fields of Middleburg, Virginia.